Love Opua (even in the winter)
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Good blustery Tuesday Morning everyone
A brief update on how the LoveOpua projects are quietly progressing – please feel free to get in touch if you have another project idea or if you’d like to volunteer.
Julie Butler’s and Marie Sharp’s hard work and perseverance have paid off, and we have a beautiful flower and fruit tree garden at the bottom of the hill – feel free to pull any pesky weeds when you walk past.
Roger Young and his helpers from Opua School can be proud of the bus shelter on SH11 – if you see rubbish in the shelter please pick it up and dispose of it sensibly – together we can keep this area nice and clean.
The beautiful water tank by the school must be the piece to resistance – thanks to the children and teachers from Opua School! Take some time and go and check it out and while you are up there admire the view!!!! Fritz and his team did an amazing job clearing the weeds and we are now awaiting “heads up” from FNHL on how we can use the land for the Opua Community.
The “muckiest” place in Opua (for now) is the turn around area by the school. The contractors are working hard to finish this project. We hope to have a much better car parking and pick up solution for the Opua School Families. Please have patience on Franklin Street, especially between 8.30 am – 9 am and 3 pm – 3.30 pm. There is no room to overtake traffic on this road!!!!
Brett is still in negotiation with DOC for the use of the land for the “Opua Tower”. This will be the place to stop in the Bay of Islands. The views! Keen to help? Email us!
Doug is pushing the lawnmower regularly on top of the hill – council should be taking over the mowing in the very near future. If you have a minute or two… there are some weeds to be pulled!!
The Vintage Railway’s Concert is back!
The Vintage Railway’s unique Concert At The Station, which was cancelled earlier this year due to bad weather, is back but with a big difference. Mayor John Carter will still be the exuberant MC, and there will be the same great line-up of Northland talent. But instead of sitting outside among the railway tracks the audience and performers will be inside the huge green Carriage Shed. So rain, snow, or sun it will still be on!
Unique features will remain. Performers will be on a stage provided by the base of a partly built replica of an historic four-wheel carriage. Seating beside carriages in need of considerable restoration will provide an interesting insight into the work still to be undertaken, as will be engines and a range of other railway equipment. The Railway’s Operation’s Manager Mike Bradshaw will give a talk on the restoration progress and other fascinating insights into the work of the Vintage Railway.
So keep the date of Sunday 1st May clear and aim to be at this special Northland event. The concert will start at 3.00pm. The audience will still need to bring their own seating as there will not be any seating provided either on chairs or in carriages. And be prepared to sit back and enjoy the variety of talent ranging from kapa haka to women’s barbershop, from country to blues, and from vocal to instrumental. Bella a Capella, Zoe King-Samuels, Wallace Johnson, TBK, Shilo Barbarich and Carleen Still will have you foot tapping and hand clapping.
Door sales only at adults $10, children $5, family pass $25. Cold drinks will be for sale and there will be two great raffles. Parking will be best behind or near the Star Hotel.
Frank Leadley 17 English Bay Rd, Opua 0200. Ph 09 4027650.
Attached Pic: Venue for this year’s Concert at the Station is the large Carriage Shed – one row of carriages and some of the equipment will be moved outside to make room for the concert.
DRAFT SOLID WASTE BYLAW CONSULTATION
We wrote to you on 11 January 2016 advising you of a proposed bylaw that will control how rubbish is managed in the District. The closing date for submissions was yesterday, Wednesday 24 February, however, we have decided to extend the submission period by a month to allow more people to have a say on the bylaw which will impact all households in the District.
People now have until 4.30pm on Thursday 24 March 2016 to make a submission. The Council will hold hearings for people who want to speak about their submission on 14 April. It will deliberate over these submissions on 5 May and adopt the Solid Waste Bylaw on 15 June.
We encourage you to find out about the bylaw which proposes a number of new rules designed to better manage and reduce waste. These include new requirements for:
- households to ensure that not more than 10 percent of the rubbish they send to landfill for disposal is recyclable. This means that at least 90 percent of the rubbish that is put in a rubbish bag and left at the kerbside for collection should be waste that can’t be recycled (e.g. polystyrene and non-recyclable plastic). Under the bylaw, refuse contractors may refuse to collect or accept rubbish bags if they are full of recyclable waste, such as glass bottles, newspapers and tin cans.
- owners and managers of hotels, motels and apartments to manage waste on-site
- people organising public events, such as festivals, to develop and get Council approval of a waste management plan before the events goes ahead
For more information, or to make a submission online, go to www.fndc.govt.nz/draftsolidwastebylaw2016 or you can get more information and a submission form at any Council service centre or library. If you have already made a submission and would like to add to what you have already said you can do that too.Please ensure Council receives your submission by 4.30pm on Thursday 24 March 2016.
If you require any further information please do not hesitate to contact me on 09 401 5200 or free-phone 0800 920 029.
Yours sincerely
Melissa Wood
Strategic Planning Coordinator
CANCELED DUE TO ADVERSE WEATHER
Total Span Bus Shelter
Congratulations – your application for a new bus shelter as part of the Totalspan Undercover Kids Programme has been successful.
Your local franchisee will be in touch with you to discuss installation and to ensure the shelter and its location meets all the regulatory and consenting requirements.
Our team may also be in touch with you to discuss publicity and we would welcome and appreciate your assistance and support in this area. We’re sure this news will make it to your next school newsletter and if you require any copy of images then please don’t hesitate to make contact with us.
We were extremely impressed with the quality of applications and it gives our team great pleasure to be able to contribute towards making children safe as they wait for their buses. We also would like to apologise for the delay in getting back to you.
We recently made some changes to our system which resulted in unforeseen delays.
As you are aware, Totalspan is committed to managing this programme to protect our children as they wait for buses on rural school routes. The Undercover Kids Bus Shelter programme is a nationwide initiative.
The Totalspan Undercover Kids Programme is a long-term programme with nearly 120 bus shelters being provided this year. This is more than originally planned because the applications were so impressive that the national office has provided some extras!
The Totalspan charitable trust is aiming to provide another 150 bus shelters next year and to keep increasing the number supplied in the years following.
Again congratulations on your success and we look forward to continuing our relationship with you in future years.
Aaron Yorke
General Manager Totalspan Steel Buildings
Spanbild New Zealand Ltd
Massive thank you to Karen & Roger Young… Look what they’ve created. We can’t wait to see what else our community will come up with.
Working Bee – It’s the season to be jolly
Saturday 12/12/2015 from 8.30 am
Intersection SH 11 – Franklin St – English Bay Road
Please bring a handsaw/ chainsaw/ scrub bar/ slash hook etc.
See you then!
Frank Speaking
To the fortunate!!
It has finally happened! For better or worse, I have written my autobiography. And I am giving you a world-first opportunity to purchase a copy (or copies).
This opportunity may not come your way again. Don’t let this chance pass you by!
The book is not very big. But nor am I. However, in it you will discover some of the crazy, funny, and serious events, along with the people, places and thoughts that have shaped my life. It is written in a conversational style that will enable you to understand what makes me tick! I have enjoyed writing it, and I hope you can enjoy reading it.
When it hits the shops it will cost you $28.00. But you can purchase a signed copy direct from the author at a discounted rate of $25.00 (plus $5.00 postage anywhere in NZ for those to whom it cannot be hand-delivered).
Purchase can be made in any of three ways:
* by invoice and direct credit – with this option, please email your name, number of books required, and postal delivery address (if not being hand-delivered) to frankleadley@xtra.co.nz . I will forward you an invoice with my direct credit details, and your order will be despatched on payment;
* by posting a cheque for $25 (plus $5 postage if required) to me at 17 English Bay Rd, Opua, 0200 (provide your name and address for return post if not able to be hand-delivered); or
* by phoning me at 09 402 7650 to discuss other details for payment and delivery.
Please forward this to any friends, past students or staff, colleagues, or family members that you feel could be interested.
I have enjoyed the past 80 years to the full, with many mistakes and misadventures, with achievements and failures, and with the various hilarious, crazy, adventurous, productive and sad times.
It will be my pleasure to share some of these with you.
Frank Leadley
Caution!
A contractor has unearthed a heap of glass on Puketiitii during the clearing of the weeds on the SE side. The site is potentially unsafe and anyone entering does so at his/her own risk. Please stay clear until further notice
Thank you
Opua, Bay of Islands, New Zealand 